Elsevier

Respiratory Medicine

Volume 105, Issue 2, February 2011, Pages 310-315
Respiratory Medicine

Topical nasal steroid treatment does not improve CPAP compliance in unselected patients with OSAS

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2010.10.003Get rights and content
Under an Elsevier user license
open archive

Summary

Background

Continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can produce troublesome nasal symptoms (i.e. congestion, rhinorrhea) that may reduce the compliance of CPAP. Topical nasal steroids are often prescribed to reduce these side effects, although scientific data are scarce supporting any benefits of this treatment for CPAP-induced nasal side effects.

Objective

To study whether a topical nasal steroid can reduce CPAP-induced nasal symptoms and improve CPAP adherence during the initial phase of OSA treatment.

Methods

A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study with fluticasone propionate 100 μg/nasal cavity twice daily Treatment was started 10 days prior to and continued throughout the first 4 weeks of CPAP. 63 patients who were selected for CPAP treatment participated. Nasal symptoms were recorded, nasal patency was assessed and lung function was measured with a peak flow meter. The patients’ adherence to CPAP was recorded by the CPAP device.

Results

Total nasal symptoms increased from baseline to 4 wks after CPAP use for both nasal treatments (p < 0.05). No differences in total nasal symptoms between treatments were seen (p = 1), and no differences in nasal peak flow values after treatment were seen (p = 0.11). Moreover, there were no differences in CPAP use between the treatments.

Conclusion

Fluticasone propionate as a nasal topical steroid does not reduce CPAP-induced unwanted nasal side effects, and has no beneficial effect on CPAP compliance during the first four weeks of treatment in unselected patients with OSAS.

Keywords

Allergy
Apnea
Sleep
Steroid

Cited by (0)

c

The authors contributed equally to the manuscript.